When I Started Watching: During the Summer re-runs of season 1 in 2005.
Why I Started Watching: A friend of mine who was about to start her pre-med curriculum in the fall was obsessed with the show and all but forced the whole group of us to watch the show with her every week.
What Worried Me When I First Started Following the Show: I was worried that the concept would get old. DDX, 50 wrong diagnoses, and finally—every time, just in the brink of time—the right diagnosis. I was partially right. There is always this underlying assumption that House and the Team will get the offending virus, bacteria, prion, or general body malfunction under control.
Why I Kept Watching: Hugh Laurie—enough said. Well also the gripping plots and the novel idea of a cranky genius doctor. The comfortable assumption that House will be victorious has allowed for some big shocks when House does not save the patient. The producers of House have shown that they’re not afraid to kill a patient and more importantly—and more interestingly—they’re not afraid to let that death have serious repercussions. All of that makes for a good show, but Hugh Laurie is the cherry on top.
What Worries Me about the Show Now: The show, through three strong seasons, had a formula that worked well. The dynamic between Foreman, Chase, and Cameron was comfortable and entertaining. However, the producers were not content they shook the show up in the beginning of Season 4, which was both entertaining and refreshing. This willingness to “shake things up” is important when shows reach into 5th, 6th, and 7th seasons. Season 5 also ended with a bang, House checking into a mental hospital. I enjoyed the hallucinations suffered by House and the fact that House will finally be forced to deal with his viccodin habit in a real way. What worries me is that the beautiful 2-hour season opener felt more like a series finally rather than a season première. In the wake of this movie-like season opener, the show seems to be struggling to find its footing after altering the central character so much. The future of the show is a bit worrisome at the moment. Will House relapse back to the drugs? This would be one of the more frustrating avenues the show could take. How many times are the producers going to pull viewers through that story arc. Will House stay clean? If he does will he be crankier? That would certainly be entertaining but it isn’t really new territory. The viewers have seen time and again how the pain winds House up, how would another journey down this story arc lane be different and refreshing? Furthermore, in the season première, House developed a new outlook on life. Will this outlook make him less cranky? If he does become less cranky, the procurers are messing with their central hook, which is dangerous. In the episodes that followed the season premiere, the show has struggled to find its equilibrium in the wake of all these character changes. There has been less medicine and more inter-personal drama. I for one like the medicine aspect of the show. If I wanted interpersonal drama with a gossamer thin veil of medicine, I’d watch Grey’s Anatomy or ER re-runs. As season 6 matures, I’m worried that House will deviate too much from the show that it was and the show that it could be again.
Why I’ll Keep Watching: Does it need to be said again? Hugh Laurie—how does he still not have an Emmy?!? Additionally, over the past 5 seasons I’ve become attached to the characters, their backgrounds, and their interpersonal ties. I don’t think that the shaky legs the show is standing on at the moment will be inevitably fatal. I think that with the proper defribulation the show can revive into greatness and the journey should be entertaining.
Favorite Episodes: "Three Stories", "Hunting", "Failure to Communicate", "No Reason", "Needle in a Haystack", "Mirror, Mirror", "House's Head", "Wilson's Heart", "House Divided", "Under My Skin", "Both Sides Now", and "Broken"
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